ENAMELING UP CLOSE // Learn How to Create Cloisonné Jewelry in 3rd Ward's Enameling 2 Class!

We wear jewelry all the time, but the ways in which these beautiful accessories are created often remain a mystery. To shed some light on that we'll be taking a close-up look at some of the processes used in 3rd Ward's Enameling 2 class. First up is cloisonné!

Quick definition for you:

Cloisonné is the process of soldering an outline pattern onto a piece of metal, filling in the resulting compartments (cloisons in French) with colored enamel and then firing the piece in a kiln. This technique has been used to craft jewelry since at least the 12th century BC.

Below is a flower tri-pendant created by 3rd Ward jewelry teacher Max Goodman. Here's a description of the piece from her blog:

After painstakingly soldering the wire to the sterling silver sheet, I wet packed several layers of enamel and added some tubing for effect. I based the design on two separate art nouveau wallpaper patterns. When I’m out of formal ideas I return there often. The colors, though, are all my own. The entire piece is about 6″ long, and will hang in three parts.

Max Goodman's cloisonné tri-pendant before and after enameling.

Learn how to make cloissone pieces and more in Goodman's Enameling 2 class or get started with Intro to Enameling!

-- John Ruscher

Etsy & 3rd Ward: Craft & Shoot Lab // Photos Are Up!

Last Saturday, DIYers came together to learn new craft skills and get their Etsy pages looking sharp!  See below for our favorite shots of enameling, crocheting, sewing and homemade skincare and see all of the photos here.

Make This // Turn a logoed bag into something yours

Banish logos for your own custom floral design.So you need a new spring bag? 3rd Ward Instructor, Kat Roberts, has a great way to spruce up an old tote with some easy and pretty flowers you can easily make at home (no sewing experience necessary).

1) Start off with a sturdy bag. This second-hand American Eagle was perfect, from the color to the shape to the size -- it's just a matter of concealing the words. Thrift stores tend to be packed with cheap logo-ed items, so look there for materials! 

2) To make the flowers:

-- Choose contrasting fabrics and cut them in shapes of varying diameter, from 2" to 4". If you want, use a circle template, or cut the flowers freehand for a more oblong bloom.Sew a running stitch around the perimeter of each circle.

-- Sew a running stitch around the edge of the circle edge, making sure to leave a couple extra inches of thread when the stitch comes back to its origin point.

-- Finish the flower by pulling the thread tight so the circle bunches in on itself. Tie it off and there's your first flower!

-- Repeat with as many flowers as you like and hand sew them onto the tote in a cascading pattern, trying to conceal the stitch marks as much as possible.

3) Finishing touches:

-- Replace any uninspiring straps by Have fun with colors, textures and shapes -- it's your bag.just cutting them off and replacing with strips cut out from an old leather belt.

Congratulations! You've made your own custom tote. Learn some more smart, fashion-forward up-cycling techniques at Kat's website here.



Make a Chinese New Year Pop-up Card!

"Happy New Year"Goodbye Tiger, hello Rabbit. Celebrate the Chinese New Year with this easy-to-make pop-up card designed by Pop-Up Paper Workshop Instructor, Colette Fu.

Download the card part here, the rabbit part here, and start on your own 3-D creation. 

Want to share your project? Email us a picture of your card to membermade@3rdward.com.

Plus, learn more about Colette's amazing Fulbright Scholarship-funded pop-up project, profiled in the New York Times here.